Eisenkot's Campaign Manager Accused of Controlling Candidate's Media Appearances

Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff and current leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, is reportedly facing significant control over his campaign messaging and media appearances by his campaign manager, Ronen Manelis. During a discussion on Galey Israel radio, journalists Sharon Gal and Shirit Avitan Meir shared experiences suggesting that Manelis, described as Eisenkot's "number one," dictates which media outlets Eisenkot will engage with and potentially influences his political statements. Gal claimed that Eisenkot only grants interviews to outlets that are "petting" him and questioned whether Manelis overrides Eisenkot's decisions, stating, "If Eisenkot says A and Manelis decides B?" Avitan Meir recounted an instance where Eisenkot agreed to an interview, only for his team to later sabotage it, indicating a lack of direct control over his schedule. Gal described a similar personal experience where Eisenkot agreed to an interview after a positive meeting, but his team subsequently intervened, with Gal characterizing the situation as different team members playing roles, possibly orchestrated by Manelis. Gal criticized this level of control, calling it "crazy" for a former IDF Chief of Staff aspiring to be prime minister to be unable to decide where to be interviewed or even answer his own phone. While Avitan Meir did not fully agree that Eisenkot was unreachable, she conceded that decisions about his interviews are not solely his own. The report comes as the election campaign for the 26th Knesset, scheduled for October 27, 2026, enters its final stretch, with campaigns becoming increasingly cautious about media interactions.